Trump won’t release Democratic memo, sends back to committee

( CNN) President Donald Trump won’t release the Democratic rebuttal to the Republican intelligence memo alleging FBI abuses of its surveillance authority at this time, and has sent it back to the House Intelligence Committee for changes.

In a letter to the committee, White House counsel Donald McGahn said, “although the President is inclined to declassify the February 5th Memorandum, because the Memorandum contains numerous properly classified and especially sensitive passages, you are not able to do so at this time.”

Trump had said earlier Friday he planned to release the memo.

“It’s gonna be released soon, ” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding, “We’re going to release a letter.”